harmonica

noun

har·​mon·​i·​ca här-ˈmä-ni-kə 

1

: glass harmonica

2

: a small rectangular wind instrument with free reeds recessed in air slots from which tones are sounded by exhaling and inhaling

harmonicist

här-ˈmä-nə-sist 

noun

Examples of harmonica in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The scenes in Sinners when musicians play acoustic guitars and harmonicas brought back memories of hearing tunes by B.B. King and Z.Z. Hill while sitting on my grandmother’s porch. —AFAR Media, 10 July 2025

For the entertainment, Smoke and Stack recruit a fine blues pianist and harmonica player fallen on hard times, Delta Slim (a quietly marvelous Delroy Lindo). —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Apr. 2025

And Delroy Lindo as piano and harmonica blues musician Delta Slim. —Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025

In the summer of 2014, Chris and Morgane, along with co-producer Dave Cobb, Stapleton’s drummer Derek Mixon and bassist J.T. Cure, and special guests Mickey Raphael on harmonica and Robby Turner on pedal steel guitar entered RCA’s famed Studio A in Nashville. —Deborah Evans Price, Billboard, 29 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian armonica, feminine of armonico harmonious

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing harmonica

• glass harmonica

Rhymes for harmonica

• japonica
• veronica
• chronica
• hanukkah

Kids Definition

harmonica

noun

har·​mon·​i·​ca här-ˈmän-i-kə 

: a small musical instrument that is held in the hand and played by the mouth and that produces a sound through metal reeds which vibrate as air is blown or drawn past them